Russell Crowe with sword in a scene from the film ‘Gladiator’, 2000. (Photo by Universal/Getty Image (Image: Getty Images)
The top 25 historical movies can now be revealed after a shortlist was created … by some of UK’s top historians.
From Mel Gibson’s ‘Braveheart’ to Tom Hanks’s tale of WWII gallantry ‘Saving Private Ryan’, 22 of the UK’s leading history experts their 100-strong shortlist.
Then HistoryExtra.com readers voted for their top five from the list in a survey from 4th November to 8th December 2024 top create a top 25 – with the winner a film that scooped seven Oscars in 1994.
The enthralling 1993 movie ‘Schindler’s List, directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes in his chilling role as Nazi death camp guard Amon Goeth, topped the list after over 3,800 votes were cast.
Top on the list was Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (Image: NTC)
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Russell Crowe facing off against tiger in a scene from the film ‘Gladiator’, 2000. (Photo by Univers (Image: Getty Images)
Nominated by historians Roger Moorhouse and Nathen Amin, the film based on true events chronicles how German industrialist Oskar Schindler saved the lives of more than 1,000 Jewish workers during the Second World War.
Roger Moorhouse says: “Today, as the Holocaust recedes beyond living memory, Schindler’s List takes on a vital significance not just as a cinematic masterpiece, but as a history lesson.
“It immerses viewers in the brutal reality, from the dehumanising conditions of the ghettos and concentration camps to the small acts of defiance and hope that sustained the survivors.
“By focusing on individual stories, the film adds much-needed humanity to one of history’s darkest chapters.”
‘Gladiator’ came second in the top 25 (Image: Getty Images)
Second in the poll is Gladiator (2000), directed by Ridley Scott, and nominated by historians Nathen Amin, James Holland and Luke Pepera – the tale of the slave who became a gladiator and defied an emperor won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
While third is Lawrence of Arabia (1962), directed by David Lean and nominated by historian Alex von Tunzelmann.
One of the most visually stunning films ever made: its desert landscapes, filmed in Jordan, Morocco, California and Spain, are sumptuous, and the film is praised for capturing Lawrence’s character and charisma, and the historical context he was rooted in.
Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole In ‘Lawrence Of Arabia’ (Image: Moviepix)
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Zulu (1964) was 4th on the list (Image: NTC)
Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan – 5th on the list (Image: Alamy Stock Photo)
Kev Lochun, Deputy Digital Editor, HistoryExtra.com says: “HistoryExtra.com challenged 22 historians to choose the historical movies that have most inspired, entertained and enthralled them, and explain why.
“Our final list, ranked by the HistoryExtra.com readers, spans the centuries and shines a light on what cinema can do to bring to life characters and stories that are timeless.
“’s Schindler’s List was a clear winner in this poll, and is widely regarded as not only one of the greatest historical films ever made, but one of the greatest films full stop.
“As well as some surprising inclusions, equally surprising are the movies that did not make the cut, and how many popular historical movies of recent memory were not nominated by our panel of historians at all.
“Some of them are the biggest releases of recent years that are covered on HistoryExtra, from American true crime tale Killers of the Flower Moon and slickly shot WW1 drama 1917 to the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer.”
Russell Crowe in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003 (Image: NTC)
Robert Shaw as Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons – 7th on the list (Image: Getty Images)
THE KING’S SPEECH with Colin Firth – 8th on the list (Image: NTC)
Das Boot film about a German U Boat in WWII – 9th on the list (Image: NTC)
The top 25 Greatest Historical Movies:
1. Schindler’s List (1993) | Directed by Steven Spielberg
2. Gladiator (2000) | Directed by Ridley Scott
3. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) | Directed by David Lean
4. Zulu (1964) | Directed by Cy Endfield
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998) | Directed by Steven Spielberg
6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) | Directed by Peter Weir
7. A Man for All Seasons (1966) | Directed by Fred Zinnemann
8. The King’s Speech (2010) | Directed by Tom Hooper
9. Das Boot (1981) | Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
10. The Lion in Winter (1968) | Directed by Anthony Harvey
11. Apollo 13 (1995) | Directed by Ron Howard
12. All the President’s Men (1976) | Directed by Alan J Pakula
13. Elizabeth (1998) | Directed by Shekhar Kapur
14. Doctor Zhivago (1965) | Directed by David Lean
15. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) | Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
16. The Last of the Mohicans (1992) | Directed by Michael Mann
17. Dunkirk (2017) | Directed by Christopher Nolan
18. Hidden Figures (2016) | Directed by Theodore Melfi
19. Titanic (1997) | Directed by James Cameron
20. A Knight’s Tale (2001) | Directed by Brian Helgeland
21. Amadeus (1984) | Directed by Miloš Forman
22. The Imitation Game (2014) | Directed by Morten Tyldum
23. A Bridge Too Far (1977) | Directed by Richard Attenborough
24. Downfall (2004) | Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
25. Braveheart (1995) | Directed by Mel Gibson